Download Buddhism: Basic Teachings

Buddhism: Basic Teachings
Main beliefs
● The “three jewels” (triratna or tiratana) of Buddhism are
the Buddha, the dharma or dhamma (“teaching,” or
“truth”), and the sangha (“community”). Anyone who
“takes refuge” in these is considered a Buddhist
● The way to enlightenment is through the Four Noble
Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path
● Theravada Buddhists believe that people should not
worship any gods but should strive to attain happiness
by learning to control their own minds
● Mahayana Buddhists believe that it is possible to attain
happiness by having faith in, and praying to, the Buddha
of Infinite Light (Amitabha Buddha)
● When people achieve true happiness, they are released
from the endless cycle of birth and rebirth and reach a
blissful state called nirvana
The Four Noble Truths
● Suffering is part of life and is brought about by the
results of past actions (karma or kamma)
● Suffering is the result of giving value to the wrong things
and desiring them
● Suffering will stop if selfish desires are crushed
● The way to crush desire and reach nirvana is to follow
The Noble Eightfold Path
The Noble Eightfold Path
● Right knowledge: acceptance of the Four Noble Truths,
which allows life to be looked at from the right
viewpoint and happiness found
● Right attitude: love and kindness are to be valued over
selfishness
● Right speech: speech is to be kind and helpful, rather
than boastful, gossiping, lying, or tale-telling
● Right action: think right thoughts, and this will allow
good to be done, so overcoming evil
● Right living: employment is to be done that is useful to
other people, and done to the best of one’s ability
The Buddha in death, lying
peacefully on his right side
Right effort: love, thinking, and concentration are to be
developed rather than evil things, and the Noble
Eightfold Path is to be followed at the individual’s
own pace
● Right mindfulness: the desire for unnecessary things is
to be avoided
● Right concentration: the mind has to be controlled so
that concentration on the important things in life can be
learned
●
Buddhist symbols
● The Buddha’s enlightenment (Buddha sitting in the lotus
position)
● The Buddha’s death (Buddha lying on his side)
● The Wheel of the Law
Sacred texts
● Tripitaka (Tipitaka) or Pali Canon (Buddha’s teachings)
● Sutras or Suttas (Buddha’s teachings translated into
Sanskrit)
● Kajur (Buddha’s teachings translated into Tibetan)
● Lalitavistara (stories of Buddha’s life in Sanskrit)
● Buddhacarita (stories of Buddha’s life in Sanskrit)
Buddhist groups
● Theravada (“the southern way”)
● Mahayana (“the northern way”), which includes Zen
Buddhism
Festivals and holy days
● Hana Matsuri (birth of Buddha) – April – Japan
● Saga dawa (Buddha’s first sermon) – May – Tibet
● Festival of Wesak (Buddha’s birth and enlightenment) –
May/June – Thailand
● Summer Retreat (prayer and study) – July – China
● Anniversary of the arrival of Sanghamitta – December/
January – Sri Lanka